WASHINGTON 鈥� Two Hyattsville, Maryland, men are facing federal charges for extorting money from area businesses in connection with their alleged membership in the MS-13 gang.
The Maryland U.S. Attorney鈥檚 Office, state and local authorities announced Thursday that Jairo Jacome, 36, and Gerdandino Delgado-Escobar, 23, were charged Wednesday with conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by extortion. The office said in a statement that both men are part of a Langley Park 鈥渃lique鈥� of MS-13.
A statement from the U.S. Attorney鈥檚 office said that Jacome demanded 鈥渞ent鈥� from, and threatened, business owners from March 2013 through this month. In one instance, the attorney鈥檚 office said, Jacome threatened one owner with a gun and hit him, adding that if the business owner didn鈥檛 pay, Jacome would send someone to kill the owner鈥檚 family.
Delgado-Escobar is accused of taking extortion payments on Jacome鈥檚 behalf.
The statement said that one of MS-13鈥檚 sources of money in the D.C. area is extortion from legal and illegal businesses.
